Diverticulosis refers to a condition where pouches (i.e., diverticula) form along the colon wall. The pouches are typically 5 to 10 millimeters in diameter and are formed in approximately 50 percent of individuals 60 years old or older.
The etiology of diverticulosis is not well understood. Current theory focuses on observed nutritional differences between cultures: Those cultures that eat a high fiber diet (e.g., Asia and Africa) have a very low incidence of diverticulosis; those that eat a low fiber diet (e.g., United States and Europe) have a high incidence of diverticulosis. Certain physicians believe that the colon of a person eating a diet low in fiber must exert more pressure than usual to move waste through his colon. The relative high pressure distorts weak spots in the colon where blood vessels pass through the muscle layer of the bowel wall, thereby forming pouches.
Many cases of diverticulosis go undiscovered, because the condition alone does not cause symptoms. Diverticulosis is typically diagnosed after a patient experiences complications, such painful diverticular disease or diverticulitis. In other cases, it is discovered during a screening examination (e.g., colonoscopy).
Diverticulosis is usually treated using a combination of nutritional guidelines and medication. A patient may follow a diet regimen involving ingestion of high fiber foods with the objective of consuming 30 to 35 grams of fiber per day. Antispasmodic drugs may be prescribed to relax muscles around the digestive tract. Painkillers may be administered where diverticulitis or other complications of diverticulosis have occurred.
There is a need in the art for additional compositions and methods that can be used to treat diverticulosis. That is an object of the present invention.